Nov 02, 2017
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The Unesco has recognised the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a world documentary heritage. The speech has been included in the Memory of the World International Register, a list of world's important documentary heritage maintained by Unesco. On March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu, the architect of independence, in his fiery speech called on the freedom-loving Bangalees to wage a decisive struggle against the Pakistani oppressors. The speech set the tone for the Liberation War that would officially begin later that month on March 26. The Bangladesh Premier extended her thanks to UNSECO for recognizing the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a world documentary heritage.
Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ranked 30th on the 2017 Power Women list of Forbes magazine published yesterday. The three time Bangladesh Premier was 36th last year and 59th in 2015. In stark contrast to Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, the “lady of Dhaka” has promised aid to Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing Myanmar, allotting 2,000 acres of land in Bangladesh for the refugees, Forbes said on its website. Citing Bangladesh's own state sanctioned genocide during 1971's Liberation War, it mentioned HPM Sheikh ‘Hasina is "proud to bear the bulk of the cost" of the relocation of these refugees to her country. This includes issuing identification cards and providing childhood immunizations, it added.
A total of 817,000 Rohingya people are now living in Cox's Bazar, the southernmost district of Bangladesh, according to an IOM release said. It added, since 25 August, some 604,000 people have crossed the border, having fled violence in Myanmar. This is in addition to the over 200,000 people who had sought safety in Cox's Bazar following previous outbreaks of violence. On the other hand, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is always with Bangladesh, its Secretary General Yousef A Al-Othaimeen has told a Bangladesh delegation while the Australian government has announced a further AUD 10 million to support the humanitarian needs of almost 600,000 Rohingya people.
INFRASTRCTURE AND MEGA PROJECT
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The much-anticipated Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway finally got the nod from the government’s top economic body this week. After the completion of the project, vehicles from northern districts will evade heavy traffic of Dhaka city on their way to Chittagong. Moreover, the expressway will ease communication between Dhaka EPZ and Chittagong port. The 24km-long expressway will connect to the four-lane Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2022.
The main phase of the construction of Rooppur power plant, the maiden nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, is set to begin on November 30, ushering in a new era in the country’s thrust for ensuring energy security. Plans are laid out to pour the first batch of concrete to begin the main construction work on November 30. The project is expected to add 2,400MW of electricity to the national grid by 2024. The main plant will have two units, each with power generation capacity of 1,200MW; the construction work is expected to be fully complete by December 2024.
Bangladesh is penning a $554 million loan deal with China to build a deep-sea single point mooring with an aim to cut the time and cost of offloading fuel oil from tankers. According to the deal, the Chinese bureau will build the mooring in Maheshkhali and set up a 220-kilometre double pipeline to the refinery depot. Storage tank and pump station will also be set up in Maheshkhali. The oil tankers anchor at deep sea and lighter vessels take the oil to the depot as the port is not navigable for the tankers. It will be possible to offload 120,000 tonnes crude oil in 48 hours and 70,000 tonnes diesel through the proposed mooring with its two pipelines.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
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All 65,000 government primary schools in Bangladesh are to be given multimedia classrooms, to promote ICT-based education among younger students and make it easier for them to understand material, while also making classes more interesting and attractive. Over the space of last couple of years, multimedia classrooms had already been introduced to 12,000 government primary schools out of the 65,000. Teachers at the primary level are given two-weeks of training so that they can develop quality content for their students.
The government is going to build 520 three-storey rural bazaars at upazila-level at a cost of $283 million in order to provide farmers with better market access and fair prices. Under the project, at least one rural bazaar will be built in each of the 491 upazilas in the country. Each marketplace will have 4,000-10,000 square feet of space. According to plans, there would be a separate zone for female buyers and sellers in the markets. Media reports quoted experts as saying once the rural bazaars are set up, farmers will be able to sell their commodity at fair prices.
SOCIAL JUSTICE and EQUITY
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A raft of employment opportunities for persons with neurodevelopment disabilities in the tourism and hospitality sector has been opened up, owing to a government’s sincere measures to make the country an inclusive one. Over the last eight years, the government remains committed to ensuring the inclusion of people with disabilities into the workforce. According to a recent disability survey approximately 255,000 people in Bangladesh have neurodevelopment disabilities.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated a housing project to provide rent-based apartments to slum residents in Dhaka’s Mirpur. In the first phase of the project, five 14-storey buildings are to be constructed on two acres. Each building will contain 117 apartments, providing housing for 533 families. The second phase of the project will construct 80 14-storey buildings on eight acres, providing housing to 9,467 families. The rent will be lower than the amount slum residents have to pay in rent and to middlemen. People will be allowed to pay how they can. Those who can pay monthly can do so, but they can also pay weekly. The Premier added if someone wants to pay on a daily basis we will also make the necessary arrangements.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
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Shipments of non-apparel items rose 7.49% year-on-year to $1.51 billion in the first quarter of the fiscal year as the country is diversifying its export basket to cut reliance on garments. Tea, frozen fish, jute and jute goods, leather and leather goods, furniture, ceramics, shrimps, vegetables, bicycles and terry towel performed better in the export markets during the quarter from a year earlier. The garment sector accounts for more than 80% of national exports and its dominance continued in the first quarter as well, with apparel shipment fetching $7.14 billion with 7.17% year-on-year growth.
Remittance rebounded in October after hitting a seven-year low the previous month, bringing a sigh of relief for the government. The Bangladeshi diaspora sent home $1.16 billion last month, up 14.85% from a year earlier and 35.83% from the previous month, according to data from the central bank. Remittance is a major source of foreign currency for Bangladesh and its descent since fiscal 2015-16 has progressively become a matter of concern for the government.
INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL COOPERATION
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Opening a new route for cargo transportation between Bangladesh and India, a ship carrying 185 truck chassis manufactured by leading private Indian company left Chennai port for Mongla port. These truck chassis, being exported by Ashok Leyland Ltd, have so far been sent to Bangladesh using the land route, travelling a distance of about 1,500 km. However, transportation through the sea route will save about 15-20 days of travel time. The route saves time and coastal transport will also be more cost effective and environment- friendly, the minister said. He urged all automobile manufacturers to use coastal shipping mode for transporting their vehicles.
The government Monday approved a single window project to accelerate international trade, business and transit. The single window is meant to ease the process of export-import trade and expand transit facility. All of the departments relevant to export and import will come under an integrated IT network. Titled as Bangladesh regional transport project-1: Implementation of 'National Single Window (NSW)' and modernisation of Customs", an allocation worth Tk 5.85 billion is endorsed.
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